SNA is the recipient of Whole Foods on Ocean Avenue’s Nickels for Nonprofits program. Bring your own bag and choose to donate the $0.05 back to SNA.
You can visit Whole Foods at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/ocean or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WFMOcean.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
St. Finn Barr is hosting their 12th Annual Mardi Gras Zydeco Dance this Saturday, January 19 at St. Finn Barr, from 8 p.m. – midnight. Come and dance the night away with great Cajun food and one of the top Bay Area Zydeco Band. Advance tickets are $18 or $23 at the door. This is an adult only event. Your donation is tax-deductible. For more information, contact Alice Guidry at 415-760-1454 or St. Finn Barr at 415-333-3627. You can also download the flyer by clicking the 12th Annual Mardi Gras Zydeco Dance.
San Francisco Chronicle
1/10/2013
City College of San Francisco needs to resolve its labor issues and come up with a stable budget plan – and do it fast, a top state education official told college trustees meeting on Thursday.
Two days earlier, the state-appointed overseer of City College stunned the community college system’s Board of Governors by reporting that the college would not be able to fix all of its financial and managerial problems by the March 15 deadline set to retain accreditation, and blamed foot-dragging by labor unions and other factions at the college.
Now, Erik Skinner, an executive vice chancellor with the state community college chancellor’s office, traveled from Sacramento to urge City College trustees to redouble their efforts.
“It’s essential as you engage in this action that you do so with a sense of really what’s on the line here, which is the survival of your college,” Skinner told the trustees.
The vast college of 85,000 students learned in July that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges will yank its seal of approval and shut it down if it can’t quickly repair years of management problems that have led the college to live beyond its means.
Earlier this week, Bob Agrella, the college’s overseer, told state officials that many college employees erroneously believe the school is “too big to fail.”
March 15 is the deadline by which City College is expected to show the accrediting commission that it has repaired 14 serious deficiencies. The school must also submit a closure plan by that date, explaining what students should do if City College loses its accreditation. The accrediting commission will announce the college’s fate in June.
Agrella said Tuesday that he and interim Chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman would seek an extension on grounds that City College has made substantial progress and just needs more time.
Skinner said he had no idea if such an extension would be granted. He told the trustees that the more work completed by the deadline, the better their chances.
“There are significant issues stuck on the collective bargaining table that are really fundamental to demonstrating the college’s sound fiscal planning, and having a strong (budget) plan,” Skinner said.
A lack of progress in those two areas would likely be “fatal flaws in terms of a push to maintain accreditation,” Skinner added. He praised the work done to date as “evidence that you can pull together.”
“I think we should all take heart in that,” Skinner said.
Trustee Rafael Mandelman found Skinner’s assessment “actually kind of hopeful.”
John Coté and Nanette Asimov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: jcote@sfchronicle.com, nasimov@sfchronicle.com
Friend of the Urban Forest are planting fruit trees.
Trees provided & planted — 92% paid for!
The San Francisco Urban Orchards Program will plant fruit trees city-wide on Saturday, January 26, and will cover most of the costs.
If you know of a school, community garden or even private site in San Francisco that has space for fruit trees, you can sign up to get a mini-orchard.
The deadline to sign up is this Friday, January 11. Email douglybeck@fuf.net for details, or visit www.fuf.net.
Recycling is more important than ever before to individuals and to cities such as San Francisco. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has mandated a goal of 75 percent waste diversion for all of San Francisco by the year 2010 and zero waste by 2020.
Recology offers an array of services, no excuse to put items on the sidewalk and create an eyesore.
Recology has services where they will pick up large bulky items at your house free of charge. They also collect electronics, batteries, paint and much more. See the program details at http://www.recyclemyjunk.com/.
For more information, visit their website, http://www.recologysf.com/residentialServices.php
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association 